Sketches from the frontline

I made it home with my sketchbook this time. Unfortunately I managed to leave my copy of Jennifer Hayden's excellent Underwire on the train. You win some, you lose some...

Angouleme was a treat comme d'habitude. Great exhibitions, such as Dreams in Comics, which features plenty of Windsor McKay of course, but 70 other artists are on show. Quite a few strips involve sexual fantasies and neuroses of all sorts (Guido Crepax anyone?) with the odd one covered to shield it from the innocents' gaze. It is always a joy to peruse gorgeous artwork from Hugo Pratt, Fred, Moebius, etc etc – the list is endless. I particularly enjoyed the anxiety dream from JC Menu where president Mitterand comes to visit and he can't find anything to show him. He ends up having to give the first lady one of his rare vintage American comics.

The Willem exhibit was particularly fascinating, I emerged after an hour and a half having only read and examined half of it.

The Dutch contingent who designed and screenprinted posters over the four days were a brilliant idea led by Joost Swarte. I did not regret getting up extra early to catch his joint talk with Willem.

While I was in revelling in the Willemness of it all, Sally Anne was having a Dash Shaw fest with a talk, book signing, and generally spotting him around the place. The social aspect is also important, as we met old friends and acquaintances and made new ones. My fellow Dessinators Sean, Sally Anne and Oliver were once again perfect travelling companions, and my brother Hugo joined our gang for a while.

And to compensate for last year's sad loss, I managed to capture Willem afresh while he drew me an fabulous personalised dedicace.

Heading oop North

I have just taken delivery of some brand new comics hot off the press for your delectation.
Tomorrow morning we will be winging our way up the M1 to Leeds for the Bubblé Fest. Hurrah! See you there!

ladee done comics

I have contributed some artefacts to the St Albans Punk and New Wave exhibition that kicks off next week, details here. Heather and I headed out there to drop the stuff off, we hadn't been back for over twenty years. Strangely, the town doesn't seem to have changed that much... By the way, if you're in South London and a lover of the vintage, check out ChiChiRaRa, her shop in East Dulwich, you won't be disappointed.


In a fit of self-indulgence and vanity, I am posting a rare thing – a not hideous current picture of me. Taken by Oliver Lambden at his birthday drinks do the other night. There.
I like it.

The following night, Monday that was, I managed to speak for a whole fifteen minutes at Ladeez Do Comics. It was a very good evening, the other speakers being my lovely and talented fellow B.A.S.T.A.R.D Sean Azzopardi, Karrie Fransman and her posse from London Print Studio presenting their impressions of Angouleme, and the cerebral John Miers explaining his experimentations with language.
My thanks to Sarah Lightman and Nicola Streeten, the Ladeez in question, whose warmth and generosity help draw out any recalcitrant participants. The after show curry was much needed and helped thaw us out, the heating at the Rag factory leaving somewhat to be desired.

Next upcoming event will be the London Small Press Expo at Goldsmiths on March 12th. Rob Jackson has kindly offered to share his table with me. And I will have a new comic.

Thoughts on the Bubble

Leeds is definitely the best convention experience. Good size hall, good facilities, good attendance, and GREAT AFTERSHOW.
Drove down a carload of assorted comicsfolk to the sound of much hilarity. Richy K. ended up with a whole table while Sally Anne and I ended up with bigger space than we'd planned for, and the new tablecloth looked awesome: RESULT! Left it a bit late to check into our (very reasonable) hotel and got soaked walking back, hence the dodgy hair in the pic ( I know I look it, but I'd not had a drink yet, honest); also meant I managed to miss the panel game I was supposed to take part in (sorry, Ade).
Then the partying got under way. There was beer and pizza and burlesque sketching (Dan won the prize), and vodka and more beer and then there was DISCO! I'm not naming names but suffice to say that no one escaped the power of the turntable. As Sean so succinctly put it, now we've all broken the ice by exhibiting our moves, there's not much more we can do to shock.
Oh and I sold some comics, and badges too.
There's a proper review of the convention on downthetubes.com with a mention and a pic of yours truly.
Also more pics to be seen HERE. WARNING: may include dancing

Evil brains and con-sequentials

It's been a while since my last post.
Been to Paris again, been busy busy drawing, making comics as well as regular Monday pubdraws. I am putting together a new book for the Thing; it will contain nine different stories and I think it will be called STRIPTACULAR!
Last Sunday went to Alex Fitch's Electric Sheep launch doodah in Brick Lane, sold a couple of comics, and saw a fantastically mad Japanese movie, The Evil Brain from Outer Space.
Sean has done a brilliant thing and set up a website for a bunch of us to upload artwork in a collective stylee. It is called THE SEQUENTIAL. I have posted something just now.
Oh and I made my own font thanks to Jake and Oliver who gave me this link!!

Sip'n'sketch

Last night, I battled through the elements (well got very soaked anyway) to attend the first LUC PUBDRAW. Only a handful of us made it but it was great to see the gang and to catch up with Sean again. Some drawing and drinking took place and lo, it was a good vibe. I don't think the pub was too impressed with us. Our drinking was so restrained they closed the upstairs bar and kicked us out as we weren't spending enough...

Neither shipshape nor Bristol fashion

Feeling a bit bummed as Bristol is looming and I had hoped to have a new mini comic for it and instead I keep having to do WORK!
Still shouldn't complain. After all I do like sleeping in a house, eating decent food, wearing clothes and stuff like that but why oh why must the pesky details of real life like paying mortgages and bills and shit have to interfere with the joyous business of comic making.

Although if truth be told I mostly like my paying work - it's just there's never enough TIME!

Anyway, Sean has done a splendid job and produced a poster for The Camden Con and Oli dazzled us with his brilliance on Radio 4 yesterday (you can hear it here).

Bristol is only ten days away and it's pissing down with rain.

Spring is sprung

Tulips appearing in my garden and a little ray of sunshine to make everyone more cheerful. So far have been fortunate enough to have avoided the bug that has been striking people down left right and centre.
Been catching up with old friends and sorting out work as well as thinking about contributions to publications.
Camden again on Saturday. Spent some time on the stall in the afternoon then back to Chalk Farm in the evening for a few drinks with the Egan clan ending in slightly disgraceful behaviour (i.e. dancing) with Maire "Eileen" Fahey and Anne Witchard.

A few pics from the stall at various times:

Sean's new gloves


And the award goes to...








Dan the man









More fun and games last night with the aforementioned Egans plus Heva and the chichiraras.

Scribing

Creative scribing turned out to be a really good day . Not least because there were a few of us scribes doing our thing and it's always a blast to meet others in what can be quite an isolated line of work and exchange tips and anecdotes ("I once drew a nose this big!").
They are invariably top people or at the very least interesting ones. It was quite exhausting standing for over five hours of solid drawing, all the while concentrating on trying to convey the speakers' meaning.
However we get paid and fed for our trouble so I'm not complaining.
Saturday, wandered down to Camden market to check out Oli Smith's excellent London Underground Comics stall where I purchased Sean Azzopardi's Twelve Hour Shift collected edition, as well as some more Tales from the Flat and Dan Lester(Monkeys Might Puke)'s very funny 24Hour Comic. The Bedsit Journal guys had a stall there too but I think it was a one-off. Nice to see something edifying and worthwhile among the endless sea of tat, crafts and souvenirs.
And just a few steps away from the Hawley Arms. Very civilised.
Oh and I left some comics with Oli who will put them out next week I hope.